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September 21, 2008
By Phil Collin Like the other 98 times, the final shot sent the ball into the sand and Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor embraced joyously. But team victory No. 99, at the Manhattan Beach Open on Saturday afternoon, was different. For the first time, the next victory is not simply a matter of stepping back onto the court. The Golden Girls plan to become magic moms in the coming months and plans to dominate the opposition won't come from sports, but more likely diapers. "I looked at Misty right after and I wanted to start bawling," Walsh said after their 21-18, 21-16 victory over Jennifer Boss and April Ross in the richest women's event ever held. "I think I'm going to go home tonight and just cry. "When you just really think about everything we've done and how much I love her, what if we don't play together again? We're going to have babies and who knows? It's just been so amazing. It's been 99.9 percent wonderful moments, so yeah, it's pretty emotional." Since returning from China a month ago with their second gold medal hanging from their necks, May-Treanor and Walsh have been besieged. They've had time to practice together on only one occasion as their journey took them to this promotion and that appearance. They both admitted they really haven't had time to sort out their accomplishments. It's time. They won their fourth consecutive Manhattan crown and their fifth in the past six years. May-Treanor's all-time win record grew to 105, with Walsh now at 102. They split $100,000 to reach the $300,000 mark for the fourth consecutive year. To a degree, May-Treanor and Walsh could wrap their heads around those numbers. But there's always that nagging atypical feeling of a sense that something has come to an end. "It's awesome," May-Treanor said. "We're up there with the greats. I don't know if there's going to be another team that can do four titles here in Manhattan like Kerri and I have. "It's another milestone for us that we've accomplished. It's been a great run. And to finish on top, it's great. It feels refreshing, like ahhhhhh. But at the same time, it is very emotional." There was even talk of a torch being passed, and Boss and Ross would be more than happy to accept it. The former USC stars had defeated May-Treanor and Walsh earlier in the day in a three-game match, but couldn't find the formula in the final. They knew exactly why. "You know what?" Boss said. "They played better than they did this morning, and when that team starts to play really well, it's tough to beat them. And we didn't play as well, so that combination really kind of messed us up." Bridesmaids again. It was the seventh second-place finish on the AVP tour this season for Boss and Ross, who hold one title together. Seeded 29th, they captured the 2007 Stavanger (Norway) Open on the FIVB tour, the one that determines Olympic qualification. They're ready to take the next step, and to them, the 2012 London Games don't look like such a long way away. "April and I are so proud of where we've come together," Boss said. "We really wanted to win this, that was our goal. We were trying to peak for this point, and we really did peak for this point. We just didn't happen to win in the final." But they are one of the teams that will be expected to be a ringleader when the season resumes next year. "I hope so," Boss said. "It's going to be a battle regardless. We want to stay on top and we want to be the team to beat in London." Oh, and splitting the $75,000 second-place prize? "It makes that second a little bit easier," Boss said with a smile, stepping away toward the future. In the men's tournament that leads to today's 1:30 p.m. final, top-seeded Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser and sixth-seeded Casey Jennings and Matt Fuerbringer were the two teams that emerged unscathed, so they will resume this morning in the semifinals. Second-seeded Sean Rosenthal and Jake Gibb were knocked off in the winner's bracket quarterfinals by seventh-seeded Matt Olson and Kevin Wong, then eliminated with a 21-18, 26-24 loss to No.13 Jason Ring and Fred Souza. |
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Golden
Girls go out on top: